Vargas brothers remembered at vigil six years after Taunton double murder

Monday

Feb 24, 2014 at 7:34 PMFeb 24, 2014 at 11:11 PM

TAUNTON — It’s been six long years for the family of Taunton’s Kevin Vargas Jr. and Shawn Vargas, two brothers who were brutally murdered in front of the former’s two young children, on a Sunday afternoon in a Somerset Avenue studio apartment.

But they aren’t giving up on justice in the unsolved murder case.

“I’m never going to lose hope,” said Taunton’s Tina Vargas, mother of the Vargas brothers. “I have a lot of faith in the detective that works on this case. And he’s going to get it.”

About 50 friends and relatives of the Vargas family gathered on Monday night for a candlelight vigil in a Weir Village park next to the river to mark the sixth anniversary of the double murder, which happened on Feb. 24, 2008.

Among the group was Massachusetts State Trooper Chris Dumont, the investigator assigned to the unsolved Taunton murder. Dumont said he couldn’t speak with any specificity about an ongoing investigation, but pledged to never give up on finding whoever killed the Vargas brothers.

“We are here because we are committed to solving the case,” Dumont said. “Nobody has given up. We continue to follow up on everything.”

Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter’s office re-emphasized that his office is devoted to solving the Vargas case, and all other unsolved homicides in the county.

“Our office has a proven track record of solving homicides and cold cases,” said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s office. “We remain, along with Taunton police, committed to solving this murder. We continue to have a state police detective and homicide unit prosecutor working to develop leads on this case, and remain hopeful that we will one day be able to bring some measure of justice to the Vargas family.”

Sutter’s office has solved 21 of the last 22 homicides in Bristol County and Sutter’s homicide solve rate of more than 80 percent exceeds both the state and national averages, Miliote said.

Sutter’s office said it’s important to remind the public about outlets for anonymous tips, which could help lead them to solving the case.

“We urge anyone with even the slightest bit of information to take advantage of this completely anonymous tip platform,” Miliote said.

The District Attorney’s office said the easiest way to give a tip is to go to tipsubmit.com. Members of the public can also text the phrase “Call50” to the number 247637, which prompts an auto response, allowing them to text their tip. The District Attorney’s office said that the phone numbers of people texting the tip line does not show up for law enforcement recipients of the tips.

Tina Vargas, speaking to the large crowd that gathered during a cold, windy evening, made a plea for everyone to remember the case and report anything they hear about it.

“Keep your ears open,” she said. “Even if it’s something little. Call them. You never know. Something little can lead to something big. … If you don’t want to call them, contact me and I could pass things along.”

During the vigil, several poems were read by family members and friends. Cathy Cummings, the girlfriend of the Vargas brothers’ father, read one she wrote herself.

“Our hearts and minds with you year to year,” Cummings said. “With your courage we do not fear. Facing life with a hole in our hearts. You are the missing parts.”

The Rev. Lenny Nelson, who is the police chaplain in Taunton, also delivered a prayer.

“The vigil is a good way to keep them in the news and keep everybody thinking about them, and it helps bring the family some closure,” said Nelson, after the vigil ended.

The mother of the Vargas brothers said she hopes that this year will be the last for the annual vigil .

“Let’s just hope and pray this is the last year we have to do this,” Tina Vargas said.